


For When He Wakes

by FervidAsAFlame



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Canon Era, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Protective Merlin (Merlin), Reunion Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:48:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24626503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FervidAsAFlame/pseuds/FervidAsAFlame
Summary: When Arthur finally returns home after weeks of patrol, he’s battered, bruised and exhausted. Merlin is determined to let him sleep as long as he needs to -- no matter how many people come to the door claiming that they need him right away.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 54
Kudos: 486





	For When He Wakes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SwanFloatieKnight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwanFloatieKnight/gifts).



> For Tristan, who really should get more sleep. <3
> 
> Inspired by [this Tumblr post](https://thebyrchentwigges.tumblr.com/post/171847434565/writing-fanfic-at-27-heres-the-beloved). Today's my birthday and while I'm not 47, I feel this in my bones.
> 
> Thank you so much to [Aoi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aoigensou/) for always doing such a fast beta and for all the support as I fretted about posting my first canon era fic. <3 
> 
> Thanks to Julia Joy for having a supernatural ability to catch my worst typos <3
> 
> And as always, thank you so much to everyone who has ever taken the time to read one of my fics! I value your kudos and comments so much! I’m so lucky to have such wonderful readers :)

At the sound of heavy footsteps echoing down the hallway, Merlin startled awake. He hadn’t meant to fall asleep, but after hours of waiting it had seemed like a good idea to fold his arms on the table in Arthur’s chambers, lay down his head, and rest his eyes for just a moment. Judging by the crick in his neck, the “moment” lasted several hours. A glance out the narrow window told him that it wasn’t even close to dawn yet, with not even the faintest signs of the darkness thinning in the east. He frowned. 

The footsteps came closer and Merlin hurried to the heavy wooden door and threw it open just as Sir Gwaine was reaching for the latch. They stared at each other for a moment, then both their gazes drifted to the hulking mass draped over Gwaine's shoulder, barely keeping his feet beneath him. 

Arthur opened his eyes and lifted his head, looking around in confusion. 

“Merlin,” he slurred when his eyes fell upon his manservant. He lunged toward him and Merlin’s eyes widened in alarm for a moment, but Arthur clasped his hand tightly. 

“Welcome home, sire,” Merlin said, his anxiety at Arthur’s state making him slip into the overly-formal tones that he almost never used. “There’s bread and fruit and cheese at the table if you’ll be requiring fortification before bed.” 

Gwaine gave Merlin a bemused look -- Merlin shrugged and shoved a blinking Arthur toward the table. He sat down and looked around vaguely, weaving slightly in his seat. 

“Is he drunk?” Merlin hissed, turning back on Gwaine. 

“I swear, he’s not,” the knight said, holding up his hands in supplication. “I know he’s not been sleeping well -- none of us have, conditions being what they are,” Merlin noted the mud coating Gwaine’s armor for the first time, took in the dark circles under his eyes. “He pushed us through because he told you he’d be home tonight.” 

“Idiot,” Merlin said scathingly before he could stop himself. Gwaine just grinned. 

“I don’t think the knights would disagree with you at the moment,” he said, leaning against the door frame. 

Merlin sighed and ran a hand through his hair, feeling the exhaustion himself.

“Thank you, Gwaine, for getting him up here. There won’t be any drills in the morning, I can assure you of that. I hope you’re able to get some sleep.” 

“I don’t believe that will be a problem … for me,” Gwaine said, sketching a little bow to Merlin with a smirk as he backed out of the room. Merlin snorted as he saw him out, then bolted the door carefully and turned around to lean his back against it. 

Arthur was now mirroring the position that Merlin himself had been in only moments before, and Merlin couldn’t keep a fond smile from spreading across his face. He crossed the room and began removing Arthur’s armour with long-practiced ease. Arthur, likewise, positioned his body obediently to facilitate the stripping and together they had him bare-chested in little time. Merlin frowned at the mud splatters that covered Arthur’s neck and face and moved to the washbasin to retrieve a cloth and some water, which he surreptitiously warmed with his magic as he crossed the room. 

Arthur was sat at the table, eyes closed, with his elbow propped on the table and his cheek resting precariously on his fist. He startled awake when Merlin brought the warm cloth to his cheek, but Merlin just smiled when their eyes met.

“Sorry,” he said, speaking softly for no reason. “Want to get the mud off.”

“Merlin,” Arthur said again, looking at if he were actually awake for the first time. He gave a little growl and pulled Merlin into his lap. 

“The water! Careful,” Merlin chided, but set the bowl on the table and went obligingly. Arthur gazed up at him adoringly and Merlin couldn’t help but lean in to brush a kiss to his chapped lips. 

“Hello,” Merlin said softly, lifting the cloth to get another swipe at Arthur’s face, pushing his damp fringe back from his forehead. 

“Merlin,” Arthur murmured for the third time, making Merlin laugh as he dipped the cloth, wrung it out again and tenderly wiped Arthur’s neck. 

“Have you forgotten how to speak, being out there for a fortnight with only the knights?” he teased lightly, but Arthur only lifted both hands to cup Merlin’s face. 

He brought their faces together and breathed into the space between them, “Sweetheart.” 

Merlin could feel his cheeks heat beneath Arthur’s calloused palms. Arthur typically only brought the endearment out when he was either extremely drunk or extremely close to coming -- or most commonly when he was both. Hearing it now brought to Merlin’s mind pleasure and warmth. 

“I missed you so much,” Arthur continued, pulling back to search Merlin’s face. 

“And I, you,” Merlin replied, leaning in to let Arthur capture his lips once again. “Although you should have waited another day instead of pushing your men.” 

“Needed to be with you,” Arthur said in the small, vulnerable voice that Merlin hated. He wondered fleetingly what exactly had happened during the patrol. 

“And so you are,” Merlin reassured. “Now let me finish cleaning you and we can go to bed.”

Arthur leaned back obligingly and let Merlin complete his task. Once Merlin was satisfied that the mud had been removed, he discarded the cloth on the table then turned to straddle Arthur and kiss him properly

Their bodies pressed together. The feel of Arthur whole and well beneath him was one that Merlin cherished after so many long nights of worrying. Arthur’s hands roamed over his back, pushing under his tunic to span bare skin. When he could feel Arthur fading a bit below him, he broke off the kiss and simply wrapped him in an embrace for a long moment. Arthur clung back, crushing Merlin to him. 

Eventually Merlin wiggled his way free and reached behind him to grab a handful of grapes and cheese from the platter he’d been snacking from earlier. 

“Hungry?” he asked, proffering the food. 

“No,” Arthur said, his dark eyes telling Merlin exactly what he wanted. 

Merlin smirked and held a grape to Arthur’s mouth. 

“Just a little,” he coaxed. “I’m sure you haven’t been eating well, and you’ll need to lie in.” 

“No, I won’t,” Arthur murmured, but opened his mouth obediently for the fruit. He took it, managing to get more of his tongue on Merlin’s fingers than on the grape. He smirked at Merlin, who rolled his eyes but pressed a kiss to his lips all the same. 

Merlin continued in this manner, eventually getting a satisfactory amount of food into Arthur and rewarding him with a longer kiss. 

“C’mon, let’s get undressed,” Merlin murmured to his lips, then slid off Arthur’s lap and moved around the room putting out the candles. 

When he returned to the bed, Arthur had collapsed onto the mattress and let out a moan of pleasure that Merlin was sure the guards would interpret as salacious.

“Good this feels so unspeakably good,” Arthur sighed, a huge smile spreading across his face.

“You could have at least let me take off your breeches before you laid down,” Merlin groused, undoing the ties and shimmying them down the dead weight of Arthur’s legs. He dropped them to the floor to deal with tomorrow then quickly stripped himself down, blew out the last candle and crawled into the bed. Arthur shifted over obligingly to make room for Merlin to curl into his side. 

Silence swallowed the room. Merlin felt himself drifting back into a contented sleep right away when Arthur’s voice startled him awake again. 

“It’s good to be here. With you,” he whispered. He tilted his face to nuzzle into the top of Merlin’s head then caught one hand in his and brought it to his lips. 

“Arthur?” Merlin whispered, feeling slightly more awake. 

Arthur, who had never been good at asking Merlin for what he needed, slid Merlin’s hand down and pressed it between his legs. Merlin could feel the hot weight of his cock through the thin cloth of the smallclothes and he pressed down until Arthur made the bitten-off pleading noise that Merlin lived for. He surged up and caught Arthur's lips in a bruising kiss.

"Let me take care of you?" he whispered, breaking off the kiss but pressing his cheek to Arthur's. 

He felt rather than saw Arthur's nod and shuffled himself down the bed. After a moment of fumbling, Arthur was free of his remaining undergarments and Merlin's mouth was sinking onto his hardness. 

From the start Arthur's body jerked and rolled against Merlin's ministrations, one hand clenching fistfuls of the bedclothes and his breath coming in hard pants. Arthur’s free hand stroked reverently down Merlin’s back, which made him sigh with pleasure. In no time at all, Arthur was grunting out a warning and spending in hot spurts across Merlin’s tongue. 

By the time Merlin had wriggled his way back up to Arthur’s level, he was already fading. Merlin stole one last kiss from Arthur’s pliant lips before he was fast asleep. 

Merlin took a moment to gaze at his king’s beautiful face, adorably slack with sleep in the dim moonlight, then rose from the bed to make sure all the curtains were pulled tight. He crawled back under the covers a moment later, taking care not to disturb Arthur. After a moment Arthur turned in his sleep, hands reaching for Merlin and pulling his back flush against Arthur’s chest. Arthur gave a contented sigh that tickled Merlin’s ear and made his insides flood with warmth and contentedness. They both slept soundly for the first time in a fortnight. 

*

Despite spending half his night asleep on a table, Merlin woke early and feeling refreshed. Their combined body heat had made it stuffy behind the curtains, so he pulled one open the slightest bit for some fresh air. He was gratified to see that Arthur was still sleeping soundly and was suddenly intent on keeping it that way for as long as he could. The grey morning was on his side -- although the sun was well up, the room remained dim. 

He slipped from the bed and dressed quickly, then silently unbolted the door and stepped out into the hallway. The senior guard was too well-trained to give Merlin more than a cursory glance, but of course Tobyn was on duty and gave Merlin a knowing grin. Merlin resisted the urge to stick out his tongue and turned to the older guard. 

“His Majesty will be cancelling drill for the knights this morning -- can you inform Sir Leon?”

The guard paused for just the barest moment, but Merlin was trusted enough now that the man didn’t dare question the order, even if Arthur rarely cancelled drill. He bowed slightly then moved down the hall toward the knight’s quarters. 

When they were alone, Tobyn grinned at Merlin. 

“Sounded as though you put His Majesty to sleep quite nicely last night,” he teased.

Merlin felt his face turn red. 

“You could hear that?” 

Tobyn laughed.

“No, but you’ve as good as confirmed it for me now. Anyway, he looked like he would have taken you right here in the hall last night.” 

“Shut up,” Merlin said without heat. “You can’t talk about the king that way. And when I stop walking in on you and Walter snogging in the stables you’ll have room to talk.”

Tobyn just looked smug. Merlin rolled his eyes. 

“I’m running down to the kitchen to get some food for him for later -- just keep anyone from disturbing him unless it’s an emergency, yeah? He’s going to have a bit of a lie-in this morning.”

“By his wishes or yours?” 

“That’s none of your business,” Merlin said primly. Tobyn laughed and shook his head. 

“He won’t thank you, you know.”

“Perhaps not,” Merlin shrugged, starting off toward the kitchens. “But that’s between me and His Majesty.” 

Merlin ignored Tobyn’s snort just as he ignored the raised eyebrow from the cook when he asked for a cold breakfast for the king. 

When he got back to Arthur’s rooms laden with food, the senior guard informed him that Sir Leon would be drilling the knights himself an hour later than their typical time, if that was alright with his majesty. Merlin squirmed a little but ultimately approved the revised schedule. He was beginning to fear that Tobyn was right and Arthur really would be cross with him, but he didn’t care. Arthur was exhausted and if no one else in the castle was going to make sure he was rested, by god Merlin would. 

Once he was safely in the rooms, having reiterated the orders that they weren’t to be disturbed, he checked the bed. In the shadows of the curtain, Arthur was still sleeping soundly and didn’t show any signs of stirring. Merlin smiled and resisted the urge to reach in and brush his fingers through the mussed blond hair. 

He set down the food gently then quietly took out the copy of a speech that he’d been working on. He’d just settled in and began writing when there was a gentle tap at the door. Merlin scowled and quickly crossed the room before the noise could come again. He pulled the heavy door open and slipped out, pushing it most of the way shut behind him. In front of him was the stern face of the chamberlain, who did not look pleased to see Merlin.

“His Majesty is indisposed, so I’m afraid you’ll have to return this afternoon,” he said, not quite whispering, but keeping his voice low. 

“His Majesty needs to be fitted for the outfit he’ll be wearing for tomorrow’s speech, if he wants his clothes to fit him properly,” the man said waspishly. “It must be done this morning if the seamstress is to finish the alterations in time.” 

Merlin hesitated.

“Can’t she just use the measurements from last time? It can’t have been more than a season.”

The chamberlain rolled his eyes. 

“Yes, and in between that time and now he’s spent a fortnight on horseback eating rations. You don’t think his body might have changed slightly?”

Merlin bit his lip. He knew he should have made Arthur eat more last night -- he did look a bit peaky. But no, Merlin shook himself mentally. That’s exactly why he needs his rest, so his tired body can fully recover. 

“I’m afraid he won’t be available until afternoon,” Merlin said in what he hoped was his most commanding voice. The chamberlain just raised an eyebrow and bowed himself away with a muttered, “As his majesty wishes.” 

Merlin didn’t spare a look for the guards as he closed himself back into the room. He silently crossed to check that Arthur was still sound asleep -- which he was -- and then set himself to concentrate on the speech. 

Nearly an hour passed peacefully, with no sounds except Merlin’s quill scratching across the thick parchment and Arthur’s occasional snores. Just as Merlin was settling into a passionate paragraph about the importance of the new system of crop seed exchange, there was a more firm knock at the door. With a hiss of impatience, Merlin first checked over his shoulder to make sure Arthur hadn’t stirred, then sprinted silently to the door and slipped back into the hallway. 

He turned impatiently from pulling the door shut, then swallowed dryly when he came face to face with the seamstress herself. She was a formidable woman with snapping black eyes who looked none too pleased at having to come all the way up the king’s chamber herself. Merlin had always been a little frightened of her, but he raised his chin. 

“I’m afraid His Majesty isn't available at the moment, please come back after noon.” 

He was proud that he had been able to speak without his voice shaking, but the woman just glared. 

“Listen here,” she said, glancing over her shoulder at the guards and stepping closer to Merlin until they were nose to nose. “I know His Majesty got in late last night, but I need those measurements now. If I get them this afternoon, I’ll have to be up half the night sewing and I’ve got better things that need doing.” 

Merlin didn’t dare ask what things needed doing. “Can’t you use the same as last time?” he asked in his most dignified squeak. 

She exhaled loudly through clenched teeth, then spoke slowly as if Merlin were a simpleton, “If his trousers fall off his hips in front of the entire kingdom -- I’ll be  _ lucky _ if I’m sacked. More likely my head’ll be on the block.” 

Merlin swallowed and forced himself to meet her eyes. 

“What if I get you his waist measurements?” he blurted. 

She looked as if she would murder him where he stood, but pulled the tape measure from around her neck and held it out to Merlin. “If that’s the best you can do, I suppose it’s better than nothing,” she said grudgingly. 

Merlin snatched the tape measure and darted back into the room, pushing the door shut before she could follow. Once the door was secure, he moved to the bed and slowly pulled back the bed curtain.

The king was sprawled half on his side, arms akimbo and face buried in his pillow. Merlin couldn’t help the fond smile as he gently crawled onto the bed and kneeled beside Arthur, considering. Finally he wormed one arm as slowly as possible under Arthur’s waist and reached the other over his back to feed the tape around Arthur’s waist. He had just drawn his arm back out from under Arthur, dragging the tape along behind it, when the king gave a grunt. Merlin froze, but Arthur just flung one arm over his shoulders, tugging Merlin to his side. 

“Merlin?” he rumbled in a sleep-rough voice. A spark of arousal shot through Merlin and settled low in his belly, despite their audience outside. “S’morning?”

“No,” Merlin whispered, giving in for a moment to curl against Arthur’s sleep-warm skin. “Not yet, go back to sleep.” 

Arthur hummed but pressed a kiss to Merlin’s temple then buried his face in his dark hair. After thirty seconds of held breath, Arthur was back to sleep and Merlin had the measurement he needed. He carefully extracted himself from Arthur’s embrace and a moment later was standing pink-cheeked in the entryway, handing the marked measuring tape back to the seamstress. 

She huffed a thank you and hurried back down the corridor. When Merlin turned, he caught sight of Tobyn’s grin. 

“Aren’t you off duty yet?” he whispered peevishly. 

“Not until noon, my lord,” Tobyn replied cheerfully. 

Snorting at the honorific, Merlin slipped back inside the room and once again drifted to Arthur’s bedside. 

Despite the earlier disturbance, the king seemed to be sleeping soundly and Merlin paused a moment to stare at his resting form. Now that it was mid-morning and the light better, he could see more clearly how terrible Arthur looked -- bruised and sallow-faced and still in need of a proper bath, despite Merlin’s efforts with the cloth. Merlin’s lips tightened and he drew the curtain mostly shut again to block out the gathering light as the sun ventured out from behind the clouds. With effort, he tore his eyes off Arthur and made his way back to the table. 

*

Hours later, after Merlin had successfully warded off another visit from the seamstress, a page with a message from the stables and a kitchen maid bearing a fresh platter of food, Merlin stood reluctantly and stretched. Arthur hadn’t roused from behind the bed curtains, but it was nearing noon and Merlin knew that he had pushed their luck as far as he could. Just as he was about to throw back the curtains and start his cheerful morning routine, there came a loud knock at the door. 

Merlin glared at the door but obediently trotted across the room to answer. When he swung open the door, he came face to face with Sir Leon, who had his arms crossed over his chest and was wearing an expression of irritated bemusement. 

Merlin mirrored him, crossing his own arms and jutting out his chin.

"He'll be ready soon, I was just about--"

"Merlin," Leon cut him off firmly. "I know what you're doing."

Merlin felt his hackles go up at the chiding tone and Leon must have seen the shift in his expression because he uncrossed his arms with a sigh. 

"I know he's tired," Leon continued, "We  _ all _ are. But people are being inconvenienced right now, which Arthur would not want. And if he lies in much longer, rumors will start that he's sick."

"He will be sick, if he doesn't get some rest soon. He was barely getting any sleep before he left because he extended petition hours after the crop damage and then was up all night going over the inventories and trying to come up with a plan. He deserves a rest before tomorrow."

"Be that as it may, he's a grown man and Merlin -- he can't just spend the entire day in bed."

"Yes he can!" Merlin said, trying not to sound shrill. "Maybe no one else in this kingdom cares whether he's getting enough rest, but. I. Do." He punctuated this with some ill-advised jabs to Leon's broad chest. "When he wakes he'll go back to being the king of Camelot, fixing everyone's problems, but until then he  _ will _ rest." 

Merlin glared, daring Leon to day something. But the knight just burst into laughter, the stern expression leaving his face. 

“Gods you’re easy to wind up,” Leon said, clapping Merlin's shoulder with a grin. “Tell His Majesty that I need to speak to him when he’s available. At his leisure, of course.” 

Beside him, Merlin could feel Tobyn shaking with silent laughter. 

“Oh, sod all of you,” Merlin exclaimed, retreating once again behind the heavy door. 

He had tried for a good-natured tone, but his cheeks were flaming in embarrassment at flying off the handle like an ill-tempered housewife. To make matters worse, when he looked up, sharp blue eyes met his own. Arthur was awake at last. He had pulled on his breeches and was sitting on the edge of the bed, watching Merlin with an unreadable expression. 

"A-arthur," Merlin stammered, crossing the room quickly but keeping at a distance, eyes trained on the ground. Merlin had learned that Arthur in the daylight was sometimes a less predictable creature than Arthur in the hush of the night. "I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have let you sleep for so long but --"

"Merlin," Arthur cut him off. Merlin stayed silent as Arthur pushed himself up and stepped closer to Merlin. When he was close enough that Merlin could feel the warmth of his body, still sleep-warm, Arthur reached out to gently tip Merlin's chin up. 

Merlin's questioning eyes met Arthur's for only a moment before Arthur leaned in to brush his lips softly over Merlin's. 

"Thank you," he said, pressing his forehead affectionately against Merlin's. "I feel much better." 

"Good," Merlin said with a soft smile, "Because you still look like shite."

Arthur snorted then flicked Merlin's ear as he swaggered across the room, still bare-chested. 

Merlin started to protest, but Arthur had pushed the door open before he could get a word out.

"Oh good," he heard Arthur's voice from across the room. "Changing shift? Excellent. Then I'll tell you all that I'm not to be disturbed for the next hour unless it's urgent. Is that clear?"

Merlin leaned against the bed, keeping just out of sight as he heard a chorus of "Yes, Your Highness."

"Something funny, Tobyn?"

"No, Your Majesty."

Merlin bit his lip and peeked around to see Arthur leveling a stare at the young guard. He must have looked appropriately contrite, because Arthur announced, "That will be all," and a moment later was crowding Merlin into the bed. 

"Poor boy," Merlin laughed, pressing his hands against Arthur's chest. "You've probably scarred him for life."

“I'm sure there's someone who can comfort him," Arthur dismissed the concern in favor of pushing Merlin back into the bed then crawling after him.

"Mmm, I have the bad fortune to assure you that he does, as well you know." 

Arthur, propped on his side, pulled Merlin's hand to his lips. 

"Is good to be home," he said quietly, pressing a kiss to Merlin's palm then resting it on his cheek. Merlin stroked his thumb over Arthur's cheekbone, meeting his unbearably earnest eyes. 

"So an hour," he teased instead. "You think you can last that long?"

“Oh, it’ll take far less time than that,” Arthur said with a predatory expression. He rolled onto his back, dragging Merlin on top of him, then propped himself up on his elbows for a quick kiss. “But afterward you’re going to draw me a hot bath and we’ll take our time getting cleaned up.” 

“Will we?” Merlin grinned down at him. 

“We definitely will,” Arthur replied, settling onto his back and gripping restlessly at Merlin's narrow hips. Merlin hummed in pleasure at the feel of the large, calloused hands bracketing him.

“Like this?” he asked softly, smoothing his hands over Arthur’s chest and shifting his weight until he could grind down onto the hard heat beneath him.

Arthur surged up in response. He kissed Merlin with messy abandon, his mouth hot and open, one hand in his Merlin's dark curls and the other reaching for the oil he kept at the bedside. 

Merlin insisted on taking control of their coupling, sinking down onto his king with a soft sigh. His lithe body moved rhythmically, taking his pleasure and dragging Arthur's along as well. Later as they soaked in the bath, a spirited debate over a point in the next day's speech led to Merlin slopping water over the edges of the tub as he sobbed into Arthur's shoulder, one strong hand wringing another orgasm from him. 

At last their hour was up and Merlin reluctantly dressed Arthur, putting him back together for the public eye. Merlin followed him to the door and was given a lingering kiss that tempted him to drag Arthur back to bed all over again. 

But instead he held open the door and watched as his king -- well rested, for once -- strode down the hallway and off to be the beloved ruler of Camelot. 

With a sigh, Merlin settled at the table and began copying the finished speech onto fresh parchment for tomorrow, counting down the minutes until bedtime. 

**Author's Note:**

>  _"Let her sleep, for when she wakes, she will move the world.”_  
>  -Napoléon Bonaparte, speaking about China  
> (probably also Merlin, speaking about Arthur)
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, I really hope you enjoyed it! Feel free to come follow me on [Tumblr](http://fervidasaflame.tumblr.com/) for ramblings about my WIPs and always lots of Merthur.


End file.
